At Beansprouts, we love to celebrate! We celebrate birthdays and when babies learn to walk, staff and child accomplishments, and graduating from Pre-K! The children in Pre-K have worked hard over the past year as they prepared to transition to Kindergarten and we have celebrated their accomplishments (both individual and group) with a short and sweet graduation ceremony.

The world’s opinions on graduation ceremonies for young children vary widely from “cute” to “ridiculous” but I want to share 4 reasons why I LOVE our Beansprouts graduation ceremony:

#1: I know how hard they have worked. Today’s Kindergarten is not like the Kindergarten you or I attended as a child. US News went so far as to declare that “Kindergarten is the new first grade” (article link below). Researchers at the University of Virginia have discovered that today’s Kindergarten is more similar to first grade in terms of classroom structure and teacher expectations. In the past, Kindergarten was the classroom where your children learned the alphabet and early literacy skills, developed proper pencil grip, learned self-care and independence, navigated the social world of peers, and learned beginning math concepts; however, in today’s Kindergarten, children need to go in with a foundation of those concepts.

At Beansprouts, our Pre-K program focuses on developmentally appropriate practice while preparing the children to transition to Kindergarten. Our well-rounded, thoughtful, and interest-based learning experiences have helped our children develop the social, cognitive, emotional, and physical skills needed for Kindergarten.

The children worked hard to get ready for today’s Kindergarten. Celebrating that work with a ceremony (and cake!) is well worth our time and efforts.

#2: It’s a good practice for confidence and courage.Imagine this: you are 5 years old. You’ve been practicing for graduation and the day is finally here. As you march in and look around, you realize that every seat is full and you know only a fraction of the people smiling at you. So you hesitate, look at your teacher (who smiles and nods to you), and take the first step toward your chair. The rest of the ceremony is flawless: you stand and sing, you sit and smile, you shake hands and receive your diploma, and you take your final bow.

I recognize and applaud the courage and confidence it took for every child to march into that room full of smiling parents…to stand and sing in front of a group of people…to walk across the room to receive their diploma…to smile proudly and take their bows.

It is a confidence and bravery that will carry over when they take their first step into their new Kindergarten classroom. It is a confidence you will see when they do music performances in their new school. It’s the very beginning of future confidence for walking up to a new friend, auditioning for a play, walking into a college interview, or getting a first job. Practicing courage and confidence helps our children take that first step toward their future goals and it starts in Pre-K.

#3: We LOVE them.At Beansprouts, we LOVE the children in our care. We know what makes them happy, how to help them have a great day, and how to help them smile when they feel sad. And we are so sad to think about your children leaving us. Having a chance to say goodbye and watch them take that final bow is something we need just as much as they want to do it.

We are so thankful you share your children with us and we are so proud to share in this moment of their lives.

#4: The children are SO cute. Look at them!!

As I say goodbye to this amazing group of Pre-K children, I am preparing to welcome a new group! The Class of 2017 walks into my classroom on Monday morning and I am looking forward to sharing that journey with you. Be sure to like our Facebook page (if you haven't already) for photos and updates as we love and grow with your children.

Link to US News Article:http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016/01/07/kindergarten-today-looks-like-first-grade-a-decade-ago

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Beansprouts is located at 192 Lower Main St, Freeport ME 04032. Call 207-869-5457We take your privacy seriously. Our promise to you is to never share or sell your information. You can read more about our privacy policy by clicking the link above.Preschool|Pre-Kindergarten|Infant Care|Learning Center|Before After School Program|Summer Camp